Air attacks in Mizoram, 1966 - our dirty, little secret

One month and four days after becoming prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi was faced with a problem familiar to her father, Jawaharlal Nehru: an insurgency in the north east. On February 28, 1966, the Mizo National Army (MNA) revolted against India and fighting broke out across the region. In response, the Indian state did two unprecedented things.

By March 2, the MNA had overrun the Aizawl treasury and armoury and was at the headquarters of the Assam Rifles. It had also captured several smaller towns south of Aizawl. The military tried to ferry troops and weapons by helicopter, but was driven away by MNA snipers.

So, at 11:30 am on March 5, the air force attacked Aizawl with heavy machine gun fire. On March 6, the attack intensified, and incendiary bombs were dropped. This killed innocents and completely destroyed the four largest areas of the city: Republic Veng, Hmeichche Veng, Dawrpui Veng and Chhinga Veng.

Locals left their homes and fled into the hills in panic. The MNA melted away into surrounding gorges, forests and hills, to camps in Burma and the then East Pakistan. The air force strafed Aizawl and other areas till March 13. One local told a human rights committee set up by Khasi legislators GG Swell and Rev Nichols Roy that, "There were two types of planes which flew over Aizawl â€” good planes and angry planes. The good planes were those which flew comparatively slowly and did not spit out fire or smoke; the angry planes were those which escaped to a distance before the sound of their coming could be heard and who spat out smoke and fire."

This was the firstâ€” and only â€” time that the air force has been used to attack Indians in India. It cleared Aizawl and other cities of the MNA, but did not finish off the insurgency, which would last for another 20 years. Till the 1980s, the Indian military stoutly denied the use of air attacks in Mizoram in 1966.

By 1967, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was in force in the area that is now Mizoram. That year, the eastern military brass, led by the then Lt General Maneckshaw, and government decided to implement the second terrible thing it did in Mizoram. This was called 'regrouping of villages.'

At the that time, there was one road coming south from Silchar in Assam, that traveled all the way down to where the state's limits ended. To the east and west of this road were vast tracts of forests, hills and ravines, dotted with hundreds of villages.The military plan was to gather villagers from all over, and cluster them along the side of this road. These new, so-called Protected and Progressive Villages (PPVs), were nothing but concentration camps, minus gas chambers. The movement was supposed to be voluntary â€” people in some far off hamlet were supposed to jump with joy when told to give up their land, crops and homes to trek hundreds of miles and live behind barbed wire. Actually, the military told villagers to take what they could carry on their backs, and burn everything else down. Elders signed 'consent' papers at gunpoint.

In every case, villagers refused to move. When they were coerced to march, they would refuse to burn down their properties. Then, the military officer and his men would torch the whole place down. They would march in a column guarded by the military, to their designated PPV.

Life here was tough: each resident was numbered and tagged, going and coming was strictly regulated and rations were meagre. In the PPVs' confines, tribal conventions broke down. In the scramble for scarce resources, theft, murder and alcoholism became widespread.

The regrouping destroyed the Mizos' practice of jhum, or shifting cultivation. There was little land inside the PPVs and their original jhum areas had been left far behind in the interiors. Farm output fell off a cliff. Mizoram suffered from near-famine conditions, supplemented by what little the military could provide, for the next three years.

Why were the villagers herded into the PPVs? The military reckoned that keeping villagers under their eyes would keep them from sheltering insurgents or joining the MNA. The original villages, crops and granaries were destroyed to deny wandering insurgents shelter and food.

These ideas were picked up by our officers from the colonial British playbook. The British had regrouped villages during the Boer war in the early 20th century, in Malaya, where they interned Chinese in special camps and in Kenya where villages were uprooted to crush the Mau Mau revolt.

The British could get away with all this because they were inflicting pain on a subject population. The Indian establishment had no such fig leaf: it was giving grief to its own citizens.

The scale of the Mizoram regrouping was awesome. Out of 764 villages, 516 were evacuated and squeezed into 110 PPVs. Only 138 villages were left untouched. In the Aizawl area, about 95% of the rural population was herded into PPVs. No Russian gulag or German concentration camp had hosted such a large chunk of the local population.

The first PPVs were dismantled in 1971, but the last ones continued for another eight years. The MNA revolt ended in 1986. No government has expressed regret for the bombing and regrouping.

It may or may not have happened. But I remember the sudden outbreak of insurgency in 66, when Mizoram was nearly cut off by the insurgents. It was a call for secession. No self respecting govt can tolerate such a situation and has to fight it tooth and nail treating it as a war. Integrity of the country is paramount, everything else fades away in comparison.

Nothing to be surprised Indira gandhi was no nonsense PM & she wasted little time on meeting more on actions , but she used more power than required in few instance which led to her downfall , Aggressive PM India ever had or will have . Many of the times Over aggressive

& many more is feather on her cap , but now Generals have made it very clear they don't want to get involved in internal insurgency which really avoids suituation like Operation bluestar & aftermath effect:thumb:

March 5 marks the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Aizawl – the first air raid by the Indian Air Force on civilian territory within the country. This is as good a time as any to go beyond just questioning the morality of the bombing, or the complexities that led to it. It’s time to understand its legacy.

The story began in 1961, when the Mizo Hills were a part of the state of Assam. The Mizo National Front formed on October 28 that year, and asserted its right to self-determination. The group initially adopted a non-violent approach to secure its political objective. However, following intense internal pressure after human rights violations by security forces in the area, the Mizo National Front took up arms.

The battle begins

On February 28, 1966, the fighting volunteers of the Mizo National Front launched Operation Jericho to throw out Indian forces stationed in Mizoram – launching simultaneous attacks on Assam Rifles garrisons in Aizawl and Lunglei. The next day, the Mizo National Front declared independence from India.

Operation Jericho shocked the security forces stationed in the Mizo Hills – the insurgents swiftly managed to capture significant installations including the government treasury and the 1st Assam Rifles headquarters – both in Aizawl – and Army installations in Champhai and Lunglei districts.

The central government led by Indira Gandhi may have been taken by surprise, but the reprisal was swift. On March 5, four fighter jets of the Indian Air Force – French-built Dassault Ouragan fighters (nicknamed Toofanis), and British Hunters – were deployed to bomb Aizawl. Taking off from Tezpur, Kumbigram and Jorhat in Assam, the planes first used machine guns to fire at the town. They returned the next day to drop incendiary bombs. The strafing of Aizawl and other areas continued till March 13 even as the town’s panicked civilian population fled to the hills. The rebels were forced to retreat into the jungles of Myanmar and Bangladesh, which was then East Pakistan.

Colossal destruction

Recounting his memories of that day, Thangsanga, a veteran member of the Mizo National Front, said the bombing took them by surprise. “Our little town was suddenly encircled by four screaming jet fighters,” he said. “Suddenly, bullets rained and bombs were dropped. Burning buildings collapsed and there was dust and chaos everywhere. They hit the heart of Mizoram, but not the Mizo spirit”.

No one had imagined that the Union government would bomb its own territory. “It took us by surprise that the government had the courage to deploy jet fighters to bomb Aizawl that it dared not fly inside China or Pakistan,” said Remruata, a village council member. “Well, charity begins at home.”

The bombing caused colossal destruction with some reports saying Aizawl town had caught fire. Fortunately, only 13 civilians were killed.

The establishment – including the government and the armed forces – kept mum or even flatly denied that Aizawl had been bombed. Details only emerged decades later when several writers and former insurgents emerged with their accounts of the day the people in Aizwal saw planes shoot fire.

A March 9, 1966, report by the now-defunct Kolkata-daily, the Hindustan Standard, quoted Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as saying that the fighter jets had been sent in to airdrop men and supplies, not bombs. But the question was, why would anyone deploy fighter jets to drop rations?

Zo nationalism

Since 2008, Mizoram has observed March 5 as Zoram Ni or Zoram Day. The idea is to revive the idea of self-determination and instil the importance of sacrifice among the younger generation. “Self-determination is our birthright,” said Malsawma, a member of the Zo-Reunification Organisation or ZORO. “We cannot allow our land and peoples to be divided in India, Bangladesh and Burma [Myanmar] in the name of democracy, a republic or anything else. Our resolution remains that we are united as one people in our own land. Not the Britishers’ land, not Indian land, but in Zo-land”.

Zamawia, another ZORO member, said he strongly believed that the Mizos right to self-determination was unquestionably attached to Zo nationalism.

The bombing helped strengthen Zo nationalism said Zarzosanga, a Mizo scholar. “The bombing of Aizawl did not deter or detach the heart of Zo nationalism,” he said. “Instead it makes Zo nationalism more evident and alive and outside the interest and understanding of Indian nationalism. The bomb actually othered the Mizos from India and Indians. The blunder made by the government of India with its decision to bomb Aizawl was an affirmation and acknowledgment of Mizo nationalism."

Marked as the ‘other’

The bombing may have managed to crush the Mizo uprising but it also helped usher in two more decades of insurgency. Following the bombing, the Union government implemented what it termed the “regrouping of villages” in which thousands of Mizos deep in the hills and hamlets of what is now Mizoram were forcefully displaced – their homes and villages burned – and relocated in centres along an arterial highway under armed guard ostensibly so that the Indian state could keep an eye on them.

Though the state of Mizoram was formed in 1987 after the Union government and the Mizo National Front signed the Mizoram Peace Accord, today, Zo nationalism – an ideological formulation of Zo peoples fragmented by the process of decolonisation and spread across India, Myanmar and Bangladesh – continues to assert itself.

“The horror of that day still haunts every Mizo,” said Lalremruata, a progressive member of the Zo-Reunification Organisation. “But the positive aspect is that it inspires us to secure Zo nationalism, which is already crossing national boundaries”.

For the Mizos, Aizawl is the heart of their identity and belonging. During the fight for Indian Independence, Mizos had been left on the periphery. The bombing of Aizawl to secure the Indian nation state further paralysed the Mizos from sharing in the notion of Indian nationalism. The excessive action simply helped to cement the feeling of otherness within the Mizos vis-à-vis the rest of India.

Was that the only option available to the Union government at the time? Whatever the answer, it was clearly the military and political weapon used to assert mainland India’s dominance over the Mizos.

This once on digit forum,there was one of these generic religion bashing threads
In that thread,we had a dude called 'Mikael Schiffer'
This dude was a Mizo atheist.He described his state as if it was the 'Bible Belt' of the US
Also the old people there seem to hate 'Indians',He gave an example where some central government wanted to build railways there,but some parties started protesting saying that building railways means 'Indians' will flood their little state.Such insecurity.
As if.
Anywho Mizoram is comparatively the most peaceful state in NE,next to Arunachal Pradesh i guess.
The young generation seems to be be sensible,not like the bigoted older generation as from 'Mikael Schiffer's example.They should be encouraged to migrate,study and work in other parts of the nation so that their opinion of RoI changes

in general most NE tribes hate other NE tribes,and above all 'Indians'
These NE people are so ignorant they really think 'Indians' are one religous/ethnic/linguistic group
I mean if they hate brown ppl so much they can channel that energy into sending Bangladeshi illegals back in a body bag.

buddy the north east has much higher social conduct and discipline .. plus the sense of patriotism towards India than the rest. It's the truth.

What they do not like is indiscipline of rest of the India that's all. And any one could be frustrated due to that.

We talk about sikhs, jats .. well people from NE are far more fit and brave and talented than them. But they are NOT given proper oppurtunity and access , hence they became rebellious.

Naga accord is something which gave hope. Congress had kept them away from mainstream economy and society for decades.

But Now, they will be definitely be brought to mainstream.

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they have no 'patriotism' except to their own tribe(s).They are however the cleanest sub-national entity in general,like Southies.Also they dont seem to saddle the country with like "HAR HINDU/MUSLIM MAHILA KO 10 BACCHE PAIDA KARNE CHAHIYE " bs.Low population size,a hallmark for true nationalists even if they dont know or deny it.
Discipline? I doubt.This is the region we're talking about where every tribe has its own militant group.And all of said tribes want their own country
The only sensible ones seem to be in Rest of India urban areas who are either studying or working.
Imagine if all that effort put in killing other tribes and Indian security forces would have been put for economical and infrastructural development.All NE states would rival say Kerala or other successful south states.They have all the other prerequisites like high literacy rate,proficiency in English(because no tribe speaks the same language),good civic sense,low population size etc

they have no 'patriotism' except to their own tribe(s).They are however the cleanest sub-national entity in general,like Southies.Also they dont seem to saddle the country with like "HAR HINDU/MUSLIM MAHILA KO 10 BACCHE PAIDA KARNE CHAHIYE " bs.Low population size,a hallmark for true nationalists even if they dont know or deny it.
Discipline? I doubt.This is the region we're talking about where every tribe has its own militant group.And all of said tribes want their own country
The only sensible ones seem to be in Rest of India urban areas who are either studying or working.
Imagine if all that effort put in killing other tribes and Indian security forces would have been put for economical and infrastructural development.All NE states would rival say Kerala or other successful south states.They have all the other prerequisites like high literacy rate,proficiency in English(because no tribe speaks the same language),good civic sense,low population size etc

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Milita group is not a parameter to define which state is disciplined. The crime in the society there is very less and what ever crime is there is basically anti gov. The people are highly anti chinese and very much pro Indian but also they don't tolerate the chaos what you see in delhi or bihar or up and other parts of India. They are very simple people ad highly talented.. they have been kept below their actual position due to politics.
And we are the ones forced them into that situation.

buddy the north east has much higher social conduct and discipline .. plus the sense of patriotism towards India than the rest. It's the truth.

What they do not like is indiscipline of rest of the India that's all. And any one could be frustrated due to that.

We talk about sikhs, jats .. well people from NE are far more fit and brave and talented than them. But they are NOT given proper oppurtunity and access , hence they became rebellious.

Naga accord is something which gave hope. Congress had kept them away from mainstream economy and society for decades.

But Now, they will be definitely be brought to mainstream.

Click to expand...

You want loyalty from someone who is a product of terribly put together colonial borders give me a break.......everything that you said is completely true but you forgot one major factor regarding loyalty and its so obvious what you missed out
Who said I needed to talk to an NE person one NE person does not make a state.

You want loyalty from someone who is a product of terribly put together colonial borders give me a break.......everything that you said is completely true but you forgot one major factor regarding loyalty and its so obvious what you missed out

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Nagas, were among the firsts with Gurkhas, J&K, Garhwal and grenadiers to hit Paki positions during Kargil war when nothing was known to the establishment about enemy fire power.
And they were very bad for Pakis.. they paved way for the reinforcements and other moving regiments.

I can definately agree with that @DingDong . You can't have Indian nationalism if your not indian to the CORE. If you think of yourself as Bharatiya and have some sort of connection to vedic culture as well as blood that is why tamils are the only Dravidians that want to separate from India (albeit few compared to the majority of Tamils) because even though they share a dharmic culture connection their language is different compared to the other Dravidian languages with a high degree of Aryan influence and they look different... also the general hatred for brahmins and that's bad because they have historically been part of India. This of course allowed those people to be manipulated easily and develop a disdain for vedic culture which leads to separatist movements eventually. The Nation makes the State the Borders don't make the Nation

Nagas, were among the firsts with Gurkhas, J&K, Garhwal and grenadiers to hit Paki positions during Kargil war when nothing was known to the establishment about enemy fire power.
And they were very bad for Pakis.. they paved way for the reinforcements and other moving regiments.

Click to expand...

I'll give you a little extra tid bit of info
Mizoram,Meghalya and Nagaland are all protestant christian majority states,converted from tribal savagery to Christianity
by
British and American missionaries.
I feel to some extent there is a western hand in some of these terrorist activities.
hell im catholic myself but i dont trust the americans and british.

I can definately agree with that @DingDong . You can't have Indian nationalism if your not indian to the CORE. If you think of yourself as Bharatiya and have some sort of connection to vedic culture as well as blood that is why tamils are the only Dravidians that want to separate from India (albeit few compared to the majority of Tamils) because even though they share a dharmic culture connection their language is different compared to the other Dravidian languages with a high degree of Aryan influence and they look different... also the general hatred for brahmins and that's bad because they have historically been part of India. This of course allowed those people to be manipulated easily and develop a disdain for vedic culture which leads to separatist movements eventually. The Nation makes the State the Borders don't make the Nation

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by your logic anyone who isn't a hardcore sanghvadi and/or brahmin/kshatriya/vaishya is anti-national.